A system using a printer with a fuser-heater has control means for turning off the fuser-heater during times when no printing is required, while leaving the rest of the printing system operable. Time between print requests is monitored, and the fuser-heater is turned off when a preset time is reached without a print request. A next request turns the fuser-heater back on again. Data is accepted at a reduced rate while a heater warms up.